Thank you to Macmillan/Flatiron Books for sending me an ARC of this title. I received this copy for free and this review contains my honest opinions. 

 

Every so often I come across a book that combines concepts that, for me, are unexpected in a delightful way. Prior to this book I don’t think I ever thought about mathematics in literature. I was aware of the roll of math in Alice in Wonderland without actually having read it, but that was probably the extent of my knowledge. 

 

This was such a fascinating read, and I found it fairly accessible despite not having a mathematics background and not having read many of the classics mentioned. Through the author’s passion I found myself wanting to pick up classics I previously had passed over (such as Moby-Dick) and I looked forward to each new chapter to see what the author would choose to highlight next. 

 

There are some illustrations throughout, but I wish there had been more: I often had to pause reading to search for examples of some of the terms that weren’t described in a way I could picture them. Although, to be fair, I haven’t had a math class since I was a junior in high school and let’s just say any vocabulary I might have known has had very limited use since then. Still, I’m looking forward to exploring many of the titles mentioned (there’s a wonderful section called “A Mathematician’s Bookcase” in the back that lists all the references). Thank you again to the publisher for sending me a free ARC.